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(No Model.)

B. H. ALGOTT.

SHOE BUCKLE.

Patented Dec wi-Zr'zesges:

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UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

ED\VARD H. ALCOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. BRUCE PRESTON, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOE-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,912, dated December 7, 1886.

Application filed September 11, 1886. Serial No. 213,280. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. ALooT'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buckles or fasteners for shoes and other like articles.

The object of my invention is to provide a self-locking and easily-operated buckle of a simple, durable, and cheap construction; and to this end my invention consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of devices herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which similar letters of referenceindicatelike parts, Fig 0 ure 1 is a perspective view showing an overshoe provided with my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section showing the buckle closed or fastened. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the buckle open for insertion of the take-up or strap. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the base piece or frame of the buckle. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the hinged tongue or latch lever. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the base-piece and take-up 3O strip provided with strap-eyes for attachment to the shoe or other article, instead of the rivet attachment, as indicated in the other figures. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views showingthe form of the blanks for the base and the latch-lever.

In said drawings. Arepresents an overshoe, to which the buckle may be attached.

B is the base or frame piece of the buckle, stamped out of a single piece of spring sheet metal-such as brass or steel, for example- 4 and having a pair of ears. I) b, at each sideand a folded end, b, furnished with an opening, 22, for the take-up strap, and a roll or eye, If,

at its extremity, for the hinge-pin E.

D is the latch or tonguelever, which is also made out of a single piece of sheet metal, and is provided with a pair of eyes or coils, (Z d, which fit astride the hinge coil or eye 6 of the base-piece B. The middle portion of the tongue-plate D, between the coils d cl, is turned or folded in the opposite direction from said coils, thus forming on the under side of said tongue-plate a locking projection, d, adapted to engage thelatch-holes c in thetake-up strip. The free end (1 of the latch-lever D is turned up, as indicated in the drawings, to form a finger-hold. A lip or projection, b, in the central portion of the base-plate serves also toengage the holes or openings 0 in the take-up strip. The locking projection d on the lever D projects somewhat beyond or past the center of the pivot or hinge pin E when the lever D is in its horizontal or locked position, and the latch-lever is thus self-locking, as the folded spring end Z) of the base-plate must be sprung upward slightly to permit the lever D to be opened or elevated. When the latch-lever is raised or turned on its hinge-pin so the looking projection d is carried past the center, the pressure of the take-up strip on said locking projection tends to open or elevate the lever.

Owing to the peculiar construction of my base-plate B, and the opening for the take-up strips through the folded spring end of said plate, I am enabled to secure the plate to the shoe or other article by an ordinary metal 7 rivet, a, inserted through a hole in said plate, without at all interfering with the easy and convenient insertion of the take up strip through the buckle, as the buckle-plate does not require to be turned up to any particular position to enable the take-up strip to be inserted or threaded through it; and for the same reason, also, the takeup strip, even when made of metal, may be secured tothe shoe by a similarrivet. The rivet thus makes a much cheaper means of attachment than the ordinary leather or flexible fabric strap heretofore used. The baseplate, as well as the take-up strip, of my buckle may, however, be secured by the ordinary flexible straps, if desired. In Fig. 6 I have shown them provided with slots or eyes a for such straps. By my invention it will be observed that the baseplate, or the folded slotted spring end thereof, which is integral with the base plate and stamped out of the same piece of metal, itself forms the spring which actuates the lockinglever D, or which renders said lever self-lock- 1. The combination of a suitable take-up and a sheet-metal base-plate, B, having ears b b, folded spring end b, having slot or opening 1) for the take-11p, and central eye or roll, b with latch-lever plate D, having eye-rolls d d and locking projection d, formed by the reverse fold of the central part of said plate D, and pivot or hinge pin E, substantially as specified. e

2. The combination of sheet-metal base-pl ate B, having cars 12 b, folded spring end 12, having slot or opening b for the take-up, and central eye or roll, b,with latch-lever plate D, having eye-rolls d d and locking projection d formed by the reverse fold of the central part of said plate D, pivot or hinge pin E, and take-up G,

substantially as specified.

3. The combination oi sheet-metal base-plate B, having ears I) b, folded spring end b, having slot or opening b for the take-u and central eye or roll, b",withlatcl1-lever p ate D, having eye-rolls d d and locking projection d, formed by the reversed fold of the central part of said plate D, pivot or hinge pin E,'and take-up C, said plate B being provided with a central upturned lip, 11*, substantially as specified.

4. The buckle herein described, comprising a suitable take-up, a sheet-metal base-plate having a slotted folded spring end, through which the take-up may be inserted, and alocking-lever plate hinged to said base-plate and provided with a locking projection on its under side, substantially as specified.

5. In a buckle, the combination,with asuitable take-up and a base-plate, of a lockingle'ver plate hinged to said base-plate, said leverplate having a pair of hinge eyes or coils, d d, on one side thereof, and furnished with a locking projection formed by a fold on the reverse side thereof, substantially as specified.-

EDWARD H. ALCOTT.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, LEW E. CURTIs. 

